Self-Employment: Big vs.Small Fish

I have realised today, my mistake in trying to find the right self-employment idea for myself. I have been made to think that all self-employment and business ideas are within reach. The reality is there are the 'big fish' people who move from being employed to self-employed and are better set up for it because of their former posts as head of divisions etc. The risks is still the same but for 'small fish' like myself, without the credibility of working and heading up a division in a well-respected establishment, I feel there are some areas that are not accessible to me.

The idea is not to be pessimistic about what I cannot do but use this understanding to narrow down my self-employment idea. I get it now why so many people see inventing a product or service as the their route into self-employment and business ownership. this is one of the most innovative and profitable ways to get ahead in self-employment when you don't have the connections nor the clout.

So No.1 option for self-employment is CREATE A PRODUCT that feeds a need. Some of my contemporaries, all architects themselves, have become gourmet pie suppliers, fashion designers and specialty whiskey makers! Classic examples of the create-a-product self-employment route. Self employment idea No.2 is not really a self-employment idea, but a route to it - RETRAIN to acquire the skills for your new self-employed career. I have blogged about the professions that suite self-employment very well.

Setting up a business to business consultancy is probably the self-employment option that requires the most connections and credibility. I would love to do it as a self-employment route but I don't have the credibility attached to my name, for instance, I haven't been the head of sustainability/PR/marketing/business development at an organisation like Intel, Amnesty nor the Ministry of Education.

I feel more assured and focused about my self-employment idea now that this has been figured out. Over the last few weeks I have been looking at the idea of self-employment by setting up a social enterprise. That will be the topic of my last blog.